Tag: Nassourdine Imavov

Middleweight standout Chris Curtis was left fuming after his teammate, Roman Dolidze, was on the wrong side of a series of illegal blows in his UFC Vegas 85 headliner with Nassourdine Imavov.

While the bout between Dolidze and Imavov was largely lackluster, things began to heat up in the fourth round when Imavov delivered a brutal head kick to Dolidze. The only problem was that Dolidze had his hand planted on the mat establishing him as a downed fighter.

Dolidze’s corner — which included Curtis — erupted in protest. Taking exception to their comments, Imavov nearly started a cageside brawl before referee Herb Deal pulled him back, threatening to disqualify him if the outburst continued.

Once the bickering stopped and Dolidze had some time to recover, the fight was restarted without issue. In the end, Nassourdine Imavov went on to win the bout via majority decision, but it’s safe to say the feud between Imavov and ‘The Action Man’ is far from over.

Shortly after the contest, Curtis took a dig at Imavov on X, noting all the infractions he claims to have witnessed during the heated main event.

Imavov Wants to Settle Things with Chris Curtis Behind Closed Doors

The rivalry between Chris Curtis and the ‘Russian Sniper’ goes back to their June 2023 clash at UFC 289. The bout was called off in the second round and declared a no-contest after an accidental clash of heads.

During his appearance at the post-fight press conference on Saturday, Imavov offered Curtis an opportunity to settle things with a “real sparring session” at Xtreme Couture. “I’m going to destroy him as I did in the cage,” Imavov added.

Dagestani standout Nassourdine Imavov left The APEX with another big win on his resume, though it didn’t come without a bit of controversy.

From the opening bell, it was clear that Imavov had the advantage on the feet. That much was evident when he nearly finished Dolidze in the opening round with a big right hand and a heap of ground-and-pound strikes.

After a back-and-forth clinch battle in the second and third rounds, things proceeded to heat up in the fourth when Imavov delivered a blatantly illegal head kick to Dolidze who had one hand on the mat, signifying that he was a downed opponent.

As Dolidze attempted to recover, Imavov began arguing with his opponent’s corner, including UFC standout Chris Curtis. That forced referee Herb Dean to step in and threaten to disqualify Imavov.

After a few moments, cooler heads prevailed and Dolidze was ready to continue. Clearly pissed off, Dolidze went for broke, securing his first takedown of the fight.

The fifth round was by far the most competitive with Dolidze doing a little submission hunting in the later moments, but in the end, Imavov survived the final five and scored his fifth win inside the Octagon.

Official Result: Nassourdine Imavov def. Roman Dolidze via majority decision (49-44, 47-47, 48-46)

Check Out Highlights From Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 85: